POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A

how has your body changed after lap band ( as in physical features)?

Alot more than I thought it would. And if I have to cough or sneeze - I'm in excruciating pain. If I'm perfectly still, I'm ok, but when I move around, I;m in pain. And my belly looks like someone kicked me. I've heard people on here that are fine the next day - I'm still taking the liquid vicodin and see no end in sight. Am I unusual or does everyone have this much pain 6 days post - op?And you;d think it;d get better with each day, but it's about the same. Am I normal? Blessings! Marci

I truly am physically hungry, pangs and everything. The food commericals on tv are killing me. I'm on a liquid only diet for 4 weeks - and I've found my saving grace: tomato Soup. I eat 3 oz of it at a time about 4 times a day. But I didn';t think I'd be so hungry so early on. My first fill is Nov 4th - will that help with the hunger? I can't wait to start eating real food again and I'm not afraid of overearing as I'm full after eating the tomato soup. So, do any of you guys recently banded get so hungry, or is it just me? Blessings! Marci PS: Got on the scale today (day #6) and I;;ve lost 7 lbs!! YEAH!)

Ok.. so I'm wondering if I have hit my sweet spot. I have 6 cc's in my 10 cc band. I definitely have to eat slower and take smaller bites. But it's rare that I feel "full." But I've also heard that the full feeling is not like what it used to be before the band. I eat a smaller amount until I feel comfortable, I could eat more if I wanted but I usually stop. I have another fill scheduled next week but am unsure if I should cancel or not. For those of you that know you are good with your restriction, does this sound like you? Do you really feel full after eating? I thought about emailing my PA to ask her but figured I would get the best advice from other bandsters.. he…

Okay guys- in all honesty, i am having a hard time with this mushy stage. i am tired of baby food consistency because it makes me nauseous. i hate cream soups and i don't know if i can stomach to many more protein shakes. has anyone else started eating more solid but soft foods like salmon and mushy spiniach or soft wheat pasta. please- no judgement posts, just people who have actually battled this cause i don't want to mess up my lap band and i need help!

Hi! I got my second fill 4 days ago and can only eat some mushey type foods. Applesauce and soft fish hurts, but oatmeal, mashed potatoes, and pudding are fine. I thought if I stick with these foods (beefed up with protein powder) and loose some weight, the band will loosen. Does this make sense or should I go in for a small unfill. I have not PB'd but I'm sure I would if I try a normal diet. Any suggestions? SS

Hello bandsters it's been a while since I've been here. I believe I last posted about a month ago, I was in a lot of pain due to gallstones and I needed to have surgery. Well surgery took place on September 23 and everything went well. I was a little scared being that I had been banded in April, but everything worked out. Don't have much of an appetite but I am trying to make sure I get my whey protein in. Hope everyones doing good.

I'm having a hard time figuring out what to have for lunch at work. Any suggestions?

I am only 2 weeks post op so my eating amount is very small ,but geez I never noticed how much food my hubby eats!! He has dinner and then a little bit later a snack, and then maybe a dessert before he goes to bed. I have to bite my tongue not to say...."Oh my gosh are you eating AGAIN?"...lol :001_tt1:

OK...long story short... I hiccup almost everytime when I am done eating.. what gives? Does this mean I am full or ate too much? does this happen to anyone else?

well I am 3 weeks post op and eating more than the 2-4 TBS. per meal . Im eating a cup of mushys per meal and still want more.I have been losing a pond a day but I am wondering can I hurt my band doing this? I called the nutritionist and she only advised I should be eating 2-4 TBS per meal GRRRR she sound like a broken record.I just wanted to know if Im doing damage. She never answered that question. Im starving now but I am going to start eating less food. I feel like maybe he forgot to put the darn band on LOL.

I had surgery in June and have been having so much gas since then. It doesn't seem to matter what I eat. Has anyone had problems like this several months after surgery?

Just wanted to know how long you all have had to deal with the gas pains... its all in my left shoulder, it's almost intolerable....I am walking, gasx, but its still baddddd! I can't get much in me either, took me the entire day to get my protein shake in....I can't tell if I am full or not, but I knew I had to stop.....

Has anyone hit a plateau and not know what to do? I have lost 35 pounds since my banding in April. But now it seems like nothing I do gets the weight moving again. I am filled to 5.9 in a band that will hold 10. I have 65 more pounds to loose!!! Got any suggestions???

I know what I am going through is perfectly normal. Lost 16 pounds on LSD and then 9 Pounds on my post op liquid diet for a week. Went to Mushies and I didn't lose this week. Not too hungry. I track my food on the daily plate(which is a great website by the way) and I am at around 850 to 900. I am wondering if I should bump up my calories a bit or if at some point you start losing again at 800 to 900? How long after you went on Mushies did it take to start losing again. I am not discouraged as I have lost 25 pounds in less than a month and as I am going to have this forever I will have to take it as it comes. Thanks, Greg

Hey , so I was wondering for people who have had the lap band 6 months or longer, what are your daily eating habits? How have they changed? Do you measure your food? Any recipies you love that you want to share? I have had my band since June and I am trying to teach myself how to eat differently. I still eat basically the same foods, just not as much of it. But it is so hard to change my cooking habits. I wish there was a cooking class for weight loss surgery patients. Anyway, I was just wondering if we could compare some of our new eating rituals. I know we are all different but we might get some new ideas. :thumbup:

I have read people talking about slimming, Im not sure what it is. Does everyone get it or do it, if so how bad is it? Im still waiting for my ex doctor to fax my weight history to LB. It has been amost3 weeks!!! I hope after this everything goes fast!!!!(fingers crossed)

Howdy all! My clothes are getting bigger and I am definitely losing inches. However, when I weigh, my scale is all over the place. Has this happened to anyone else?

I had 3.5 cc's in my band on the date of surgery (8/28/09). I got REALLY sick, and they took all of the saline out of the band. I felt much better immediately. Over the next 2 weeks, I was SUPER hungry. Two weeks after surgery, they put 1.5 cc back in the band. I had zero restriction. After 3 more weeks, they put 1.0 cc more for a total of 2.5 cc's. I am still experiencing zero restriction. I have 2 more appts scheduled in the next 4 weeks. My surgeon will do fills every 2-4 weeks. My experience has been they will do 1.0 cc at a time. How many cc's did it take for you to get the optimal restriction you wanted? I am really curious to know when I am going to fee…

Hi out there!! I'm 12 days post op and feeling great however today my head hunger is really getting to me. I know i'm not physically hungry but my head is telling me I need to eat something...I've caught myself several times today reaching for food out of reflex and I have to tell myself...."Hey STOP! You're not actually hungry!!":mad: How do we battle this head hunger?!?!?! :thumbup: Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I was rereading the post op instructions from Dr. Aceves and I see he says no sugar. I have been drinking broth, crystal light, Water, etc but I'd really like some juice for variety. Can we have it? I'm not talking about the punch or cocktail stuff, pure juice no sugar added. It's got some major sugar/carbs goin' on! Ivy

Has anyone tried the unflavored Protein powder by unjury? Is it really unflavored? Is there any weird textures? I'm very sensitive to shakes due to a diet I did many yrs ago and the I now can't stomach any Protein Shakes except for the sugar free CIB, nor can I stomach any Protein Bars. I want to buy something I can add to Soups, potatoes, Cereal, anything really for those times I'm low on protein. I know the Soup can't be super hot, but I need something and I'm getting nervous that I don't have a backup and I'm starting my mushie phase this week. Thanks!

Today I saw my doctor and got on full fluids and a b-12 shot. I feel like a whole new person. Not my normal active self but so much better. I have been feel so tired and hungry. I would get dizzy if I had to stand for more than 10 min. I was miserable. I hate the clear liquids portion of the diet. Today though I have had a total of about 6 oz of tomato soup and it was fantastic. Don't get me wrong I would kill for a greek salad, or spanakopita or some shrimp scampi...ok nevermind you get the point. But I finally have the energy to get around and do some of my house work. I don't feel like a lump on a log.

I am just over 3 months post-band and have successfully lost right at 39 lbs since my surgery. I have had no fills and since starting solids, have been able to eat as much as I was able to before the surgery. At my last few appointments I brought this up with my doctor and he thinks that as long as I am losing weight there is no need for a fill. Now don't get me wrong, I am thrilled that I have been able to eat with no problems and lose weight! I guess I'm just worried that I will stretch out my pouch or stop losing, due to being able to eat as much as I have been. I've tried cutting my portions down, and still feel extremely hungry. This last month has been real slow for…

I lost alot of my weight really fast. But once I hit 213lb I quit loosing. It has taking me 6 months to loose 20lbs. HELP I am very close to my goal. I just want to loose 40 more lbs. I got another fill a month ago and I am at very good restriction but I am still loosing really slow. I am only eating about 1 cup of food a day. Any suggestions?

Hi All, I was banded on Sept 21st so am two weeks and 2 days out. I have two questions about the port.....I have had today for the second time aprox 5 days of feeling really great having no pain at the port site then waking up and feeling really sore again after little to no change in activity. Did this happen to anyone else? Also, when I'm feeling around on my stomach there are two seperate loc aprox 2-3 inches apart that have a tough non natural feeling under the skin. I'm assuming one is my port but can't figure out what the second bump is unless it was the grid my port is supposed to be attached to and my port has broke free from it. I have my first follow up this…

I've gone through some of the recipes and tried them, but I would love to know what others are eating. I am getting a little tired of mushies...two nights ago I had my husband bring me a piece of cheesecake from Luby's and that was my dinner. It was good, but not the best choice :smile: I have done Lentil Soup twice and blended it. I have made the black bean soup recipe that is in the recipe section and blended it and it is good. Lots of potato soup and mashed potatos. I eat scrambled eggs every morning. I tried fish and it got stuck, so my dr said to wait another week and try it again. This is what I had yesterday... Breakfast: coffee 2 hours later--scramble…

I have a question. I have a sinus infection and got the doc to call me in something for it (antibiotic) but what is the best OTC pain medicine? Motrin or Tylenol? Thanks!

When I went home today (about 4pm) the nurse gave me some little medicine cups and said I could slowly sip Water out of them tonight. I'm doing fine with that, but I'm starving, so I had a sugar free popsicle. I did fine with that and now I want another lol. Is that ok? Will I somehow over do it on my first night? I'm probably being silly but I am so scared I'll screw things up lol. Thanks in advance! Val

Did your doctor set one or did you set one, maybe both? I am 15 pounds to my own goal. Doctor wants me to get down to 125. I am 5'2" and I have had 4 kiddos. My question for everyone is do you feel like 125 is out of reach? I am already sagging and I cant imagine how bad it would be after 25 more pounds! And once I get to whatever goal I get to, I am still wondering how we maintain that? Any comments or suggestions would be more than welcome!! Thanks! D

I am feeling hungry...at least I think I am feeling hungry. I am not sure....it is "to me" a growly, rumbly sensation that makes me think it's hunger. I called my Dr. yesterday and they moved me to yogurt, oatmeal, cream of wheat, cottage cheese etc... I am only eating a small amount at a time about 1/4 cup and then I am feeling really full, but this feeling of fullness only lasts for a couple of hours and then I am hungry again. How do you know what the true feeling of hunger is...or is it just a feeling of my stomach settling or healing?? I hope this question does not come across as dumb

How are you doing now? I was banded on 9/22 and noticed that we have identical stats as to prediet and post diet results. I am now down 8 lbs. since surgery. The first 6 days were horrible and I had a small panic attack on teh 6th day thinking I had truly done the wrong thing. Now 12 days out, I am back to 'normal' and feeling great. I just wanted to check and see how you are as well.

Does anyone eat "diet" meals such as Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine, etc? Do they have too much food in them? I haven't had my first fill yet, and am having trouble figuring out how much I should be eating.

I am 4 weeks post op and I still burp all the time...does anybody else have this issue?

I just got back from Walmart where I went to get fixins for some more chicken broth. Just walking into the place near the Subway Sandwich shop and the Deli made me so HEAD hungry!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the aroma of fresh baked bread, etc, etc, etc...you get the picture. I reflected on what my sleeve was feeling, and it was not the usual churning hunger that I would feel when going in there before a meal...but the aromas were so fabulous... It is a good thing that this sleeve is such a restrictive tool...at this point I could not have "cheated" if I'd wanted to, because it could cause a leak and threaten my life...knowing that helped me focus more on the 25 lbs I've lost so far…

What can you take once you've been banded? Can you take smaller tablets, do you have to crush them? Is that only post-op for a period of time or permanantly? I'm just wondering because I take a Multivitamin and some other supplements and I'm wondering if I'll be able to still take them after I'm banded, I thought I saw someone mention something on here about tablets getting stuck.

Hi Everyone, Feeling a bit down due to lack of weight loss. I am 2 months post op and 1 week post 1st fill. I have lost a stone since op which I was pleased with but now its been about 3 weeks since I lost anything. I feel no restriction at all. Although I am eating healthily, I can still manage all foods and manage to finish everything on my plate most times without any problems and without feeling at least full. I dont feel hungry after eating but I dont feel FULL either. I could easily carry on eating. My nutritionist advised me to cut out carbs for the next 6 months to give my band chance to work and to boost weight loss but hey isn't that what we all know as DIETING?…

Hi my name is tia. I had my surgery july 13 and live in detroit mi at the moment. I will be moving to butler al in november. Just wanting to know if the anyone knows of a surgeon that will take me on as a patient or that takes out of state patients for after care anywhere in alabama

I'm confused. I have been reading and reading your wonderful posts and have learned a ton of information. There is one thing that is not clear. Post op some of you have 10 days CLEAR liquids, some are allowed oatmeal, some mashed potatoes, soups, ect. What is allowed and what is not? Please clarify. Thanks again for all of the info. You guys are the best!!!:thumbup:

I am now in a size 11/12 juniors. I'm so stoked!! I even got into an addidas jacket I haven't worn in years. I'm big into sports and have a ton of sporty clothing I haven't been able to wear and now I can!

Hey there! I posted this in the September board, but thought I would also put this out there for all you veteran pros! I know each surgeon is different, but I have been on some form of liquid diet for about 6 weeks now & still have 2 more weeks. I am so ready for some form of food!!!! I'm about to gnaw my arms off!!!! Although, I can't be too frustrated since I have lost 24lbs. But still!!!!! I had to do 4 weeks of Optifast (5 Optifast shakes & one meal per day) & now have been on Clear liquids since the day before surgery. Thankfully, they just added yogurt, pudding, & cream Soups...I feel like I've won the lottery! :thumbup: However, I do not…

If any of you have an Aldi's near you then RUN to it. I found some of the most tasty fish I have ever had. It is by Sea Queen and comes in individual frozen portions for $.79 each. I had the lemon herb tilapia yesterday and today I had the orange ginger tilapia. The Lemon was good but a bit bland, the Orange ginger was so tasty although a bit spicier than I am used to. I am running our romorrow to buy as many as they have left, they are great for the mushie stage since they can be broken up really small, and for the regular food stage because they are just yummy 130 calories in one portion.

I was banded on Sept. 1 and going on my 5th week. Will have my 1st fill next week. I am eating pretty healthy (although I did have a girls weekend and ate a few samples that weren't exactly low fat), but gained about a 1 pound since my lapband (lost 30 pre-op). But I have a decent appetitie still. I am at the point where foods aren't sticking, I feel pretty good. Yes, I chew slow, and eat some the low fat foods, incl shakes, etc. Try and limit my portions. Question is this: do the fills make a big difference in your hunger?

How did they fill you? My Dr. may want to fill me at 2 weeks post-op but my incision, where the port is, has a nice scab over the entire thing. Also....followup appointment today. Can you think of any questions that you did not ask that you wish you did. Thanks!!:frown:

Do you think it would offend anyone if I brought my chopper with me to dinner? I can not seem to cut my meat up small enough, so I use my chopper for every meal now. It is small and will fit in my bag, I use it at restaurants now, and am curious about the ship. I actually own 2 of them, one I keep in the vehicle and one at home, so that if we decide while we are out, to grab dinner, I will have it. It is the small Hamilton Beach chopper, battery operated. Thinking now that I have had this 3rd fill and I am really noticing restriction more than ever, I really need to keep small. THANKS.

hi i am 7 weeks post op and had my first fill yesterday. The PA said i had to go on a liquid diet for 2 weeks before the doc came in to do the fill. I asked why and he said i might have some swelling due to the fill. Ive read on here that alot of people only do a 1-2 day liquid diet. Would it be bad if I only did a 2 day liquid diet?

Just wondering because after speaking to my surgeon, he told me that the way all bands are fitted these days is that after the band has been placed, a section of the stomach is stiched over the band to stop slippage. This he said is the way mine has been done. I know by abusing your band the poach can expand, but can the band still slip somehow?

I saw my PCP last week because I was having trouble with my ears and dizziness -- I think it was BP related (too low). He reduced me from 40 mg (I'd only been taking 20 mg) to 10 mg and wants me to have a several blood tests ... I'm wondering if I need more than what he ordered ... This is what he's ordered: Comp Metabolic Panel (14) Lipid Panel CBC w Diff W Pit TSH, 3rd generation UA w micro serum Vit B12 Folic Acid Vit. D I figure if there are others needed, I'd mark them on the form, too -- after all, I'm paying for them - Any ideas? Thanks!

How are you guys doing? Please fill us in on anything your willing to share on your recovery, the first week or two are the experiences I am most interested in hearing about. How is your recovery?

I've become a little depressed since my surgery, due to some very severe complications during surgery. Although I was told Laproscopy would work for me, I woke up last Weds to 4 laproscopic inscisions and 25 staples down my stomach. Apparently an artery was cut attempting to complete the surgery laproscopically and I lost about a Liter of blood, needing a blood transfusion. So now I look down at my stomach and see lots of staples and 4 other inscicions that really don't look too attractive. I'm starting to wondering if this was all worth it since I basically had more severe complications than most (there is much more to the story then mentioned) Any helpful advise ou…